Dictionary

hackerish en · ADJ

Pronunciation

• (UK) audio

Etymology

From hacker + -ish.

Meanings

1. (informal) Resembling or characteristic of a hacker (technically skilled computer enthusiast).
   • The hackerish look of dot-matrix fonts on screens and printers has partially prevented full acceptance of computers as tools for a literate public. 1985, Byte, volume 10:
   • Jones is an engineer, and presented the engineering approach as the more hackerish, the more ad hoc of the two: Solve the problem no matter what. 1990, Dr. Dobb's journal of software tools for the professional programmer:
   • There is a rich, hackerish tradition in the computer world of making any new computer or video game system emulate those that came before it. 2009, Damien Stolarz, David Jurick, Adam Stolarz, William Hurley, iPhone Hacks: Pushing the iPhone and iPod Touch Beyond Their Limits:
   • Facebook’s unencumbered, efficient, agile, hackerish style is to make everything seem ‘easy’ – and when you need, in one of Zuckerberg’s favourite phrases, to ‘move fast and break things’, you just shrug. 2013, Joanna Biggs, “Tell me everything”, in London Review of Books, volume 35, number 7:
2. (informal) Resembling or characteristic of a hacker (malicious user who breaks into computer systems).
   • ...requires users to disclose new and useful information on computer and network security or other hackerish subjects to be admitted to the privileged areas of the system. 1995, Lance Rose, NetLaw: your rights in the online world:
   • To find a hacker chat room, look for rooms with names like #2600, #phreak, #carding, #cracks, #anarchy, or any other phrase that sounds hackerish. 2006, Wally Wang, Steal this computer book 4.0: what they won't tell you about the Internet:

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